Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Reactions to Zarqawi Killing; Interview with Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf

Aired June 09, 2006 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A message from al Qaeda. There's a new tape that has surfaced from al Qaeda's number two leader. And that is just a day after the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Security stepped up in Iraq, fear that al Qaeda may soon seek revenge for the killing of that terror leader.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And a nation in shambles -- an Africa country with a female leader now dealing with rebuilding that war torn country.

I sat down with the president of Liberia and get her look at the plans for tackling their desperate situation.

M. O'BRIEN: A small creek becomes a raging river. Flash flooding in Montana wiping out roads and farmland.

S. O'BRIEN: And she may best be known as Tony Soprano's psychiatrist, but Lorraine Bracco-is dealing with her own demons. She writes about it in her new book.

Those stories all ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.

Welcome back, everybody.

I'm Soledad O'Brien.

M. O'BRIEN: I'm Miles O'Brien.

Welcome to Friday.

Mixed emotions in Iraq today after the death of a terror mastermind. The security level is ratcheted up as officials there brace for possible retaliation from insurgents and terrorist following the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

John Vause live now from Baghdad -- hello, John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

There was a traffic ban put in place here in the capital of Baghdad, and also the City of Baquba, north of here. That is now over. It lasted for about four hours.

It appears to have worked. It's been mostly quiet here and also in Baquba to the north.

The traffic ban coincided with noon prayers on Friday. The reason for that is because in the past, Zarqawi and his al Qaeda fighters have often targeted Shiite mosques with car bombings, especially on Fridays, to cause the most amount of bloodshed -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: John Vause in Baghdad.

Thank you very much -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: We've got some new pictures to show you this morning. They've been released from the military. They're pictures of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as a target.

CNN's Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon for us -- hey, Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

More information now coming out the day after. We expect another briefing here shortly. But some of these pictures do offer more details about exactly what did transpire.

Let's look at the very first picture we have.

This is an aerial photograph, obviously, of the safe house location in which the F-16s dropped those two 500-pound bombs. Obviously an overhead picture, a first look now at that safe house.

There is a wider shot, black and white aerial photography, of the date palm grove, the remote area in which this house was located. This is where the F-16s dropped the two 500-pound bombs.

There is some video of the aftermath now, taken by military troops, that shows just the level of destruction that was really wreaked upon this location. They wanted to make very sure that they killed whoever was in that house. U.S. troops, as you see, walking over the pile of debris.

By some accounts, this house had -- was, you know, reinforced with steel and concrete. So that's one of the reasons they dropped two bombs, to ensure maximum destruction.

As we continue to look at that video, there is also, this morning, another photograph emerging of the dead Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a slightly different photo view than we saw yesterday. You see him here with a head wrap. Still, the face cleaned up, but a slightly different view of the remains.

Soledad, what's really emerging this morning is what we have all been reporting. It was a tip, possibly through Jordanian sources, that Zarqawi was traveling with a man known to be his spiritual adviser, Sheik Abd-Al-Rahman. And they started tracking that man. And that is ultimately how they got to Zarqawi -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Some pretty fascinating pictures.

Thanks, Barbara.

A new terror tape to tell you about.

The Arab network Al Jazeera says it is airing a purported tape from al Qaeda's number two, Ayman el-Zawahiri. Al Jazeera saying that al-Zawahiri mentions the Palestinian referendum, among other things, on the new tape. He's not expected, though, to mention the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi on that tape -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Without DeLay in Washington -- the former House majority leader, Tom DeLay, leaving the building today. DeLay resigning Congress. And true to form yesterday, sticking to his feisty message, insisting he's been honorable and honest.

He spoke to lawmakers, as well as our senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): Tom DeLay ends his two decade long Washington career in Tom DeLay fashion.

(on camera): What do you most regret?

REP. TOM DELAY (R), TEXAS: What do I -- I don't have any regrets.

CROWLEY: None? Not a single one?

DELAY: Not a single one.

CROWLEY (voice-over): He wielded power in the conservative cause, lost it in a blitz of unproven allegations and a Texas indictment on a campaign money laundering charge -- all untrue, he says, lies from political enemies.

DELAY: It's all about winning. And we win. They lose. And they don't like us. You know, the Democrats hate losing.

CROWLEY: Democrats have made DeLay the poster child for Republican corruption. By way of farewell, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi called DeLay one of the most corrupt leaders in the history of Congress.

DELAY: Well, it says more about the -- Nancy Pelosi than about me. The hatred is amazing.

CROWLEY: The significant chance that Democrats might retake the House has dampened Republican spirits as they head into fall elections. In a private goodbye, DeLay told colleagues to snap out of it.

DELAY: You've got to stand up strong against illegal immigration, stand up strong for fiscal responsibility, stand up strong against judicial activism and then talk about the future. And we'll -- we'll con -- we'll prove all the pundits in the national media wrong.

CROWLEY: They call this an exit interview. But DeLay wants it clear -- he's not leaving somewhere, so much as going elsewhere.

DELAY: I ought to be out helping elect Republicans, helping defeat the Democrats, talking about the conservative view and where we want to take the country.

CROWLEY: He's not sure if he'll ever run-for office again or exactly where he'll end up. But when he spoke on the House floor for the last time, Tom DeLay was headed the only direction he knows.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DELAY: And so with love and gratitude for friend and foe alike, patriots all, I yield back the floor of our beloved House and I exit, as always, stage right.

CROWLEY: Departure a la DeLay -- no retreat, baby, no surrender.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Tom DeLay exits to face trial on campaign finance charges in Texas.

We'll keep you posted on that one, of course.

Let's get a check of the forecast.

Rob Marciano at the CNN Center -- hello, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Miles.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, breakthrough in cancer prevention. The federal government approves a vaccine that can help block certain types of cervical cancer.

M. O'BRIEN: Then, the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- many in the Arab world say what follows could be even more dangerous. We'll explain.

S. O'BRIEN: And in a country marred by civil war and violence, Liberia is turning to a woman, a grandmother, for leadership. Now six months into office, I sit down with the president, Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf.

Our conversation is just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: So, how is the death of Iraq's insurgent leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, playing in the Arab world and what's the Arab media saying about it?

Octavia Nasr is CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs.

And she's at the CNN Center in Atlanta -- Octavia, good morning.

Before we get to that question, I actually want to ask you about this latest news we've had about a new videotape -- we believe it's going to air on Al Jazeera TV -- from Ayman el-Zawahiri, the number two of al Qaeda.

First of all, what do we know about this tape at this point?

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, the tape just aired. As a matter of fact, I just listened to it and translated it for our network and we're getting some parts of it ready to air, to broadcast. It is a video of Ayman el-Zawahiri, as you said.

In it, he speaks about three main topics. One is the Palestinian referendum; two is the Egyptian judges crisis in Egypt; and, three, Darfur.

Nothing Earth shattering on that tape. Also, very important to mention that he taped this message, obviously, before the killing of Zarqawi in Iraq, because on the tape he praises Zarqawi and calls him the lion of Jihad and Islam.

So, interesting, because it's new. It is a new video. It's a Sahab Production. This is the sort of video company that speaks in the name of al Qaeda.

You see Zarqawi on the video, like you've seen him in the other videos that we've seen of late. And at the bottom of the screen is a translation in English of what he's saying. Except this time around, Al Jazeera covered that translation with their banner. So you -- if we air it to our audience, they won't be able to see the English.

But like I said, nothing Earth shattering, other than he's talking -- he's criticizing the blockade on the Palestinians, saying that this is a ploy to get them to be submissive to the Israeli will.

He's also calling on people to boycott any referendum. You may remember the president of the Palestinian Authority called for a referendum in Palestine in order to basically decide the future of that country. And he's saying Palestine doesn't need a referendum.

The same rhetoric, the same old al Qaeda language, but nothing Earth shattering at this point.

S. O'BRIEN: And nothing about the death of al-Zarqawi, which, I think, to many, is not a surprise because of the length of time it takes to actually get one of those videotapes.

Let me turn to you now and talk more specifically about reaction to al-Zarqawi's death.

Overall, what's been the Arab media's reaction -- Octavia.

NASR: You know, Soledad, Zarqawi is an interesting figure in the Arab world, because, on the one hand, he is not liked. He's seen as a butcher. He is seen as someone who really crossed the line, especially with the hostage taking and the beheadings and the, really, the violence that we've seen of late in Iraq.

So, on the one hand, he's not liked. He's hated in some circles.

But, on the other hand, the U.S. is not liked.

So at the end of the day, when you look at the way the story is being covered, you can see a little bit of confusion of sorts, or maybe the Arab media or the Arab street not really knowing how they should feel about it.

But, one thing is clear, and you can see this in this example I'm going to give you from "Al-Hayat" newspaper.

The big headline on "Al-Hayat" newspaper today is: "Happiness in Europe, America and Some of Iraq." "Iraq Without Zarqawi: The Region Awaits His Successor and the Revenge."

So basically this is the opinion that you will hear a lot on Arab media, people thinking that there will be revenge as soon as a successor is named, and the form of that revenge is a cause for concern for many experts that I've spoken to and listened to on Arab media -- and read.

S. O'BRIEN: So, then, does it feel like, in the media, it's a victory? Or does it feel like a loss, with his death?

NASR: You know, it seems like a victory for Iraq, if you read the mainstream Arab media. Now, if you start reading local newspapers and you start reading, for example, the Hamas statements on this, you will -- you will see that basically he is treated as a martyr. People explaining that the whole point of him being in Iraq is to seek martyrdom. So basically the idea of him living is not in the picture, that he really wanted to die, and basically he got what he wanted.

But mainstream Arab media is definitely seeing this as a victory for Iraq, because they see this as the end of terror. I'm going to give you an example. This one comes from, also, "Al-Hayat" newspaper. And it says: "George Bush celebrates Zarqawi's corpse. It has been a long time since there were any good news. The number of coffins returning home continues to rise and the Taliban and al Qaeda are on the offensive in Afghanistan."

So basically this is seen as good news for Iraq and for the U.S. And this is written by the editor-in-chief of "Al-Hayat" newspaper. So basically it does represent the views of that newspaper -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Octavia Nasr, CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs.

Octavia, thanks.

NASR: Any time.

S. O'BRIEN: The African nation of Liberia desperately needs fixing, so the voters have said. Many men have had it, for 100 years. It's time to let a woman rule.

Well, enter President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. She's got a big job ahead of her -- to conquer civil war and violence and poverty.

Does she have what it takes?

I talk to her ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Liberia is finally emerging from years of civil war and strife under the Charles Taylor regime. The country's newly elected president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is trying to rally world support for her plan to get Liberia back on its feet.

I sat down with President Johnson-Sirleaf and we talked about the future.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): She is the first elected female leader of an African nation. Inaugurated just six months ago as president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has a massive job ahead of her -- rebuilding her nation, torn apart by civil war, and past regimes that have been both brutal and corrupt.

(on camera): At your inauguration, which was held in the garden of parliament -- it was described as a beautiful ceremony and described that it was in the garden because the inside of parliament had been stripped bare by the parliamentarians.

Is that true?

PRES. ELLEN JOHNSON-SIRLEAF, LIBERIA: That is very true. You're well informed.

S. O'BRIEN: They took everything? Curtains? Carpets?

JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: Curtains, carpets, desks, chairs -- these stripped bare. And so we had it outside. We had good weather. We were grateful for that. And I think it made for the possibility to accommodate many more people who wanted to watch and be a part of the ceremony.

We still have to address the needs of our capital where our, you know, representatives sit and get it fixed.

S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): Add that to the long list of things that need fixing in Monrovia. There is no power in the city. The water isn't drinkable. More than 80 percent of the population is unemployed.

But Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is an optimist in a country that desperately needs one. Johnson-Sirleaf says Liberians are tired of conflict. They want an end to war and a plan to deal with the estimated 100,000 children who served as soldiers under former brutal dictator, Charles Taylor. He is now charged with 11 counts of war crimes.

(on camera): You have a lot of young people which -- who were soldiers. I mean eight year olds, nine year olds, 10 year olds, who were killing people.

How do you rehabilitate a child and then can you return them to their community? Can you return them to school? Can they become productive citizens again?

JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: During the campaign, everywhere I went when I talked to young people and said what do you want? What do you expect of your country? What can your country do for you? Without a doubt, it was education.

S. O'BRIEN: The child soldiers told you that...

JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: Oh, yes...

S. O'BRIEN: ... that they wanted an education?

JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: Absolutely. Without a doubt, with forcefulness. My Ellen, we want to go to school. We want to be somebody. We want to learn.

S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): They also want to earn a living. Liberia is a poor nation, ironically blessed with natural resources like iron ore and rubber. Like Britain's Margaret Thatcher, Johnson- Sirleaf's nickname is "Iron Lady," a reference to her tough reputation. She's quick to point out she's a mother and a grandmother.

(on camera): There is a rumor that goes like this -- you walk with a cane. Sometimes you're in a wheelchair. You look like the picture of health to me.

Why do you think this rumor has started?

JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: That was campaign propaganda, you know, my opponents, because, you know, I'm relatively older than they are. So they went around and said, oh, you know, she's an old lady. Yes. And she can't walk. And you have to go out in a wheelchair. She won't be able to serve her term. So we need to look for younger people.

So what I did is every time I came out on the campaign trail, the one thing I did was to jump up and down. Do you see me in a wheelchair?

S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): It worked. Johnson-Sirleaf won with 59 percent of the vote. The new president knows she has to improve life for the three million people who live in Liberia, and fast. The stakes are high, but if she succeeds, she'll also open doors for women in Africa and around the world.

JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: And I know that, you know, the euphoria of being the first African woman president is going to wear off and after that it's going to be -- the microscope is going to be on me.

S. O'BRIEN (on camera): What did you do?

JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: You know, what did she do?

S. O'BRIEN: What did you accomplish?

JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: What did she do with it, you know? What did it result in? What are the successes? How has she changed the lives of her people? How has her country changed because of her leadership?

I'm aware of that. And I know I have to succeed.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: She has to succeed and she's got a lot to do.

Johnson-Sirleaf says one of the main things is to try to get foreign investment in Liberia, because that will bring jobs, and that'll go a long way in trying to bring down those numbers, the big unemployment numbers.

Also, she said, I thought interestingly, Liberia, as you well know, was founded by African-American slaves who went -- who were sent back to Liberia. She says she'd like to one day make it almost a tourist destination for black Americans today who'd like to come and see some of their roots.

So she's got some big plans ahead.

M. O'BRIEN: She's a remarkable woman.

But when you think of that entire generation, of boys mostly, that had been scarred by this, what a big job lies ahead there.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, and that's just one of literally 60 things she needs to tackle quickly.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: And also this morning, there's new hope for cancer prevention. The federal government is approving a new vaccine that can help block certain types of cancer.

we're going to tell you about it coming up next.

Then, the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi affects Iraq, al Qaeda, and, really, everybody in the U.S. But it directly touches the families of his victims.

This morning, we talk to the brother of a man who was kidnapped and killed in Iraq for his reaction.

AMERICAN MORNING continues right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Good morning.

Welcome, everybody.

It's Friday.

I'm Soledad O'Brien.

M. O'BRIEN: Happy to say that.

I'm Miles O'Brien.

Let's get a check of the headlines.

Carol Costello in the newsroom -- good morning, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

Good morning to all of you.

we've been talking about this this morning -- a new message from al Qaeda. The Arab network Al Jazeera is airing a purported message from Ayman el-Zawahiri. He's al Qaeda's second in command, right behind Osama bin Laden. This is our first look at this right now. The tape comes two days after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's killing. But we're hearing it was taped earlier. Zarqawi mentions on the tape being praised as the lion of Islam, but he doesn't mention Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death.

Parts of Iraq under curfew today. Iraqi police helping enforce a temporary traffic ban in Baghdad. You see some empty streets here in the Diyala Province, the area northeast of Baghdad, where Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed. Authorities are trying to prevent possible retaliation attacks for the killing.

Congress agreeing on a nearly $95 billion spending package. It's set to hit President Bush's desk by next week. The House and Senate agreed last night to earmark nearly $20 billion for Katrina recovery, much of it going to flood control projects. $70.4 billion -- 70.4 -- goes for defense spending. It boosts the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to nearly $400 billion. The rest of the funds will go to border security and bird flu.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com